Hendersonville grad unseats N.Y. Democrat to win U.S. House seat

Chris Collins was one of 4 Republicans in U.S. to beat a Democratic incumbent

Published: Tuesday, November 13, 2012 at 5:40 p.m.

Last Modified: Tuesday, November 13, 2012 at 5:40 p.m.

Back around 1967, Chris Collins ran for vice president of his junior class at Hendersonville High School and lost.

"As an early transplant from up north, I think the other candidate was just more familiar to people," recalled Collins, whose family moved to Hendersonville from New York when he was 13. "Most of the kids knew each other from the day they were born."

While that first try at elected office may have been humbling, it was not Collins' last.

Last week, Collins — a 1968 graduate of HHS who went on to study engineering at N.C. State University — became one of only four Republican challengers to beat an incumbent Democrat for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Collins' narrow defeat of Democratic Rep. Kathleen Hochul for New York's 27th Congressional District seat was one of few bright spots nationally for Republicans on Election Day.

"We got our head handed to us," he said, describing the outcome that left the GOP in control of the House, but facing a Democrat-controlled Senate and White House. Fifteen Republican incumbents lost House seats, including 10 members of the tea party-backed 2010 freshman class.

In discussions with fellow House members, Collins has decided the problem Republicans had this year was being too proactive in the face of Democratic inertia on key issues such as entitlement reform, deficit control and budget-balancing.

"By leading the debate, we allowed the other side to demonize what we were doing and snipe at us from the trees," he said. "I think you'll see the House being more subdued at this point in time and not be the first one to throw out proposals. We're going to sit back and make the president lead for a change."

Growing up in Hendersonville, Collins said his upbringing was not overtly partisan, but it was clear where the parents stood. "My dad was busy working at GE and raising seven kids, so I wouldn't say he debated politics much," he said. "When it was time to vote, I think we all knew he was voting Republican."

Collins played on the HHS golf team and joined the Key Club. His older sister, Geraldine, known as "Deene" to friends, graduated from HHS in 1966, attended the University of North Carolina-Greensboro and still lives in Greensboro.

After graduating from N.C. State and working four years at Westinghouse in Alabama, Collins followed his folks back to western New York, where he started several businesses. His current companies include a cabinetry maker, a machinery firm that makes solar panels and micro wind turbines, a biotech company and a commercial dinnerware manufacturer.

In 2007, Collins was elected Erie County executive and took over the largest county in Upstate New York, which at the time "was effectively bankrupt." Collins cut the number of county employees by 22 percent, mostly in administration, and invested in technology that improved services.

"I saved the county $72 million a year," he said. "I guess I did too good a job. Once it was fixed, Democrats chose one of their own to run it. That's what prompted me to seek higher office."

Rep. Hochul, the incumbent Collins beat, was elected in a 2011 special election to replace disgraced Rep. Christopher Lee, who resigned after tabloids reported the married congressman had emailed a shirtless photo of himself to a woman he met on Craigslist. Hochul had her own issues, Collins said.

"She was hard to pin down," he said. "It was like trying to grab hold of a fish and have it squirt out of your hand. I called her ‘The Great Pretender,' because she got permission from (House Minority Leader Nancy) Pelosi to take votes to give the illusion that she was more conservative than she was."

<p>Back around 1967, Chris Collins ran for vice president of his junior class at Hendersonville High School and lost. </p><p>"As an early transplant from up north, I think the other candidate was just more familiar to people," recalled Collins, whose family moved to Hendersonville from New York when he was 13. "Most of the kids knew each other from the day they were born."</p><p>While that first try at elected office may have been humbling, it was not Collins' last.</p><p>Last week, Collins — a 1968 graduate of HHS who went on to study engineering at N.C. State University — became one of only four Republican challengers to beat an incumbent Democrat for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. </p><p>Collins' narrow defeat of Democratic Rep. Kathleen Hochul for New York's 27th Congressional District seat was one of few bright spots nationally for Republicans on Election Day. </p><p>"We got our head handed to us," he said, describing the outcome that left the GOP in control of the House, but facing a Democrat-controlled Senate and White House. Fifteen Republican incumbents lost House seats, including 10 members of the tea party-backed 2010 freshman class.</p><p>In discussions with fellow House members, Collins has decided the problem Republicans had this year was being too proactive in the face of Democratic inertia on key issues such as entitlement reform, deficit control and budget-balancing.</p><p>"By leading the debate, we allowed the other side to demonize what we were doing and snipe at us from the trees," he said. "I think you'll see the House being more subdued at this point in time and not be the first one to throw out proposals. We're going to sit back and make the president lead for a change."</p><p>Growing up in Hendersonville, Collins said his upbringing was not overtly partisan, but it was clear where the parents stood. "My dad was busy working at GE and raising seven kids, so I wouldn't say he debated politics much," he said. "When it was time to vote, I think we all knew he was voting Republican."</p><p>Collins played on the HHS golf team and joined the Key Club. His older sister, Geraldine, known as "Deene" to friends, graduated from HHS in 1966, attended the University of North Carolina-Greensboro and still lives in Greensboro.</p><p>After graduating from N.C. State and working four years at Westinghouse in Alabama, Collins followed his folks back to western New York, where he started several businesses. His current companies include a cabinetry maker, a machinery firm that makes solar panels and micro wind turbines, a biotech company and a commercial dinnerware manufacturer.</p><p>In 2007, Collins was elected Erie County executive and took over the largest county in Upstate New York, which at the time "was effectively bankrupt." Collins cut the number of county employees by 22 percent, mostly in administration, and invested in technology that improved services.</p><p>"I saved the county $72 million a year," he said. "I guess I did too good a job. Once it was fixed, Democrats chose one of their own to run it. That's what prompted me to seek higher office." </p><p>Rep. Hochul, the incumbent Collins beat, was elected in a 2011 special election to replace disgraced Rep. Christopher Lee, who resigned after tabloids reported the married congressman had emailed a shirtless photo of himself to a woman he met on Craigslist. Hochul had her own issues, Collins said.</p><p>"She was hard to pin down," he said. "It was like trying to grab hold of a fish and have it squirt out of your hand. I called her 'The Great Pretender,' because she got permission from (House Minority Leader Nancy) Pelosi to take votes to give the illusion that she was more conservative than she was."</p><p>Reach Axtell at 828-694-7860 or than.axtell@blueridgenow.com.</p>